"He knows that it's a church that's alive, especially compared to some other parts of the world, and he knows that it's a powerful nation and so he has an opportunity not only to visit with us, but also to share his hopes and dreams and what he believes God is asking about us as a nation," Aymond said.

Aymond thinks the pontiff's message during his trip to the U.S. will be multifaceted. He said there are many challenges for the church and the nation, including an increased awareness of serving the poor.

"We are one of the richest nations in the world. Do we really reach out to the poor, who he has a very, very important soft spot for, and he should," Aymond said.

Francis, a man known to do things his own way, has opened eyes across the world since succeeding Pope Benedict in 2013.

"He does have an interesting style and I must say it's a style I deeply respect," Aymond said.

Aymond said the style, which has been called revolutionary by many, allows him to be able to see the challenges and issues in the church, name them, pray about them and seek advice.

"We've seen that recently in terms of giving permission for all priests to be able to absolve the sin of abortion. Though it did not affect us in this diocese or most places in the U.S., in some places it was huge," he said.

The pontiff's style hasn't pleased everyone, though. He has called for transparency and integrity in the church. Francis said it's no place for politics.

Aymond said Francis has not changed church doctrine, only protocol and canon law, which is man-made law.

"I think what is consistent about Pope Francis that you cannot argue with is that he has a heart that is merciful and he wants to show the heart of mercy from Christ," he said.

Aymond said that's all that matters to Francis. He said the pope cares about showing mercy and reaching out to those who could be forgotten.

"I think it's who he is, but I also think it's a way of calling us, all of us in the church. Those who are leaders in the church, are we living simple lives?" he said.